Ersson has not played since suffering an undisclosed injury on October 28th, but returned to practice on Wednesday and could be back between the pipes on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. Before his injury, Ersson was splitting time with Dan Vladar, who had been terrific and greatly outplayed Ersson. That said, Vladar has struggled in Ersson's absence, which should allow Ersson to continue his push for more playing time. The 26-year-old Erson has a 3.08 GAA and .876 SV% in four games this season (2-1-1).

Kozak has not played since October 24th, recovering from a lower-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The 22-year-old Kozak is averaging 9:52 time-on-ice, recording 19 hits and two goals in seven games.

Kulich exited Buffalo's most recent game, a 4-3 shootout win over the Washington Capitals, after only 11:19 time-on-ice due to an undisclosed injury. The 21-year-old Czech forward has five points (3G / 2A) in 12 games this season.

McCann has not played since October 20th and few details have been shared about the severity of his injury. The 29-year-old McCann has four points (3G / 1A) in five games this season and has no concrete timeline on when he may return.

Evans suffered an injury towards the end of September and has yet to play this season, but is approaching his original six-to-eight week recovery timeline and could draw into the lineup in one of the team's next two games. The 23-year-old is entering his third season with the Kraken after posting career highs across the board in 2024-25 with five goals, 25 points and 59 SOG in 73 games played.

Misa continues his recovery from an undisclosed injury and will miss at least two more games, beginning on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. Injuries aside, the Sharks have been easing the 18-year-old Misa into gameplay this season, limited to only seven games, scoring three points (1G / 2A).

Pesce has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on October 26th and has retroactively been place on Injured Reserve. The 30-year-old defenseman has been a stabilizing force on New Jersey's blueline, averaging 19:39 time-on-ice and scoring three points (0G / 3A) in nine games.

Misa continues his recovery from an undisclosed injury and will miss a third consecutive game on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets. Injuries aside, the Sharks have been easing the 18-year-old Misa into gameplay this season, limited to only seven games, scoring three points (1G / 2A).

Sundqvist was limited to 7:43 time-on-ice in the Blues' 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, exiting the game with an undisclosed injury. The 31-year-old Sundqvist has five points (0G / 5A) in eight games this season. Mathieu Joseph will draw back into the lineup as Sundqvist's replacement.

Trocheck has not played since suffering an upper-body injury in the second game of the season, but appears to be making strides for returning after returning to practice this week. The 32-year-old Trocheck scored 59 points (26G / 33A) in 82 games last season.

Zuccarello was originally scheduled to be out of the lineup until late November, but finds himself a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, on the precipice of returning to the lineup. The 38-year-old Zuccarello has remained productive for Minnesota over the years, playing primarily alongside Kirill Kaprizov, including scoring 54 points (19G / 35A) in 69 games last season.

Kane has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on October 17th, missing nine games, but appears to be nearing a return after returning to practice on Thursday. The 36-year-old Kane was off to a hot start this season, scoring five points (2G / 3A) in five games. Red Wings' head coach Todd McLellan said Kane could be an option on Friday against the New York Rangers.

Brown played the first 11 games for the Devils this season, but will miss a third straight due to an undisclosed injury. The 31-year-old Brown is averaging 15:47 time-on-ice and has six points (5G / 1A) in 11 games this season. His next opportunity to return will be on Saturday when the Devils host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Miller has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on October 20th, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. The 25-year-old Miller was off to a strong start with the Hurricanes, averaging 23:32 time-on-ice and scoring four points (2G / 2A) in six games while spending some time quarterback the team's top powerplay unit.

Hintz has not played since receiving an open-ice hit from Carolina's Taylor Hall on October 25th, missing five straight games. He is a game-time decision for Thursday's game against the Anaheim Ducks. The 28-year-old Hintz has eight points (1G / 7A) in eight games this season.

Glass has not played since October 21st, missing seven games with an upper-body injury, but will draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 26-year-old Glass is averaging 12:34 time-on-ice and has two points (2G / 0A) in six games with the Devils this season.

Hallander left Wednesday's practice early with an undisclosed injury and will not play on Thursday. Hallander has spent parts of the 2025-26 season playing alongside Sidney Crosby, and has tallied four points (1G / 3A) in 12 games. With Hallander unable to suit up, expect Ben Kindel to take his spot on Pittsburgh's top line.

Gudbranson has been plagued with injuries this season, missing two weeks in early October with a lower-body injury, returning for a game, suffering a hip injury, and has been sidelined for the last two weeks again. The 33-year-old Gudbranson is in his 15th NHL season, his fourth with the Blue Jackets, and was set to be a lineup-regular this season after being limited to only 16 games in 2024-25 because of a shoulder injury.

Kozak has not played since October 24th, recovering from a lower-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The 22-year-old Kozak is averaging 9:52 time-on-ice, recording 19 hits and two goals in seven games.

Monahan suffered an upper-body injury, exiting Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames after only 13:11 time-on-ice, but is not be out long-term. The 31-year-old Monahan is off to a slow start this season despite top-line and top-powerplay deployment, scoring only six points (1G / 5A) in 13 games.